Lowy delivers broadside at football ‘politics’
FOOTBALL Federation Australia chairman Steven Lowy will relinquish his post because he is tired of political infighting at the organisation.
Lowy and his father Frank Lowy, the billionaire Westfield co-founder, have been involved in promoting and investing in the sport for more than 50 years.
“I’ve decided I won’t seek re-election when my term is up at the end of November,” chairman Lowy said yesterday. “I had to make a decision by the end of September, but I thought it very important to let the football community know as early as possible that I’ve made that choice.”
His decision to announce he won’t renominate as chairman comes when his board is fighting corporate governance changes that will give ALeague club owners more power.
Club owners claim boardroom change and further independence will bring more revenue into the cash-starved league.
But Lowy accuses foreign club owners of trying to control the league and warns they will deny grassroots clubs necessary support if the changes go through.
“I’m doing this because of the politics in football,” Lowy said.
“I’m taking myself out of the equation because for those that want a different outcome to the board and what the board believes in.”
He said the debate had been become personal and clouded the real issues.
“I and my family are used as a distraction to the real issues,” he said. “I want to remove from the debate once and for all any suggestion that the struggle to maintain an independent FFA board has anything to do with my personal interest or ambition.”
Lowy insisted the move wasn’t a power play for the FFA board to get its way.
I’M DOING THIS BECAUSE OF THE POLITICS IN FOOTBALL
STEVEN LOWY